The Thing with Trust
by Alcandre
Summary: Sequel to Trust Me. It's James' birthday. And Emma is completely stumped on what to get the father she's always wanted but never had. What do you get a fairy tale king? An idea hits...but will everything go as planned? Or will Emma's plan backfire?
1. Chapter 1

The start of something new. Well, not too new since this is a type of sequel to "Trust Me". This has been rolling around my head since I finished "Trust Me" and I finally made myself sit down and type out this first chapter. If you haven't read "Trust Me" I would suggest you do. Some of this story won't make sense until you do.

This takes place after Snow and Emma have been back from FTL for a while. Cora and Hook did not follow them (because that would totally mess up my plans for this) and all is as hunky-dory as it can get in a town full of fairy tale characters. And this is a prologue…so, if you are slightly confused at first, don't worry more shall be explained.

Thanks to all who reviewed "After the Same Rainbow's End". You guys make me so happy. And I can't wait to hear what you think on this one. So…that means that I need you to review. Please! Pwetty Pwease.

As always, a big, big, big thank you to Laura! She and I get each other so much. We both are so invested in these characters that we start talking about them like they are very real; like they live next door to us.

And again, I do not own "Once Upon a Time". Never have. Never will. I gain no type of profit from this story. If I did, I would not be scrapping for any little penny I can.

* * *

Emma stared at the display in the shop window. Tools seemed so…trite. Another hammer or saw wasn't going to be the best present ever. Which was what Emma wanted to get him.

She needed the perfect gift. It was James' first birthday since the curse broke and thankfully, Emma and Snow were back in Storybrooke, thanks to Regina. And Emma wanted to get her birth father something special. She wanted this birthday to be one he remembered for the rest of his life. But what in the world do you get a man who was once king of a place called The Enchanted Forest, who was married to his true love?

"Certainly not a screwdriver," Emma muttered to herself, stuffing her hands in her jacket pockets, frustration very evident in her body language. "And it's not like there are weapon shops around here."

Not that he needed any weapons either. Once you have the sword that he possessed, other swords just kind of paled in comparison.

"You certainly seem miserable, Ms. Swan," a voice said from behind the blonde, causing the sheriff to turn from the display of new Black and Decker tools.

Regina stood there, looking as pristine as ever, one eyebrow raised and a slight smirk on her face.

Emma shrugged and turned back to the window, her mind already going back to present ideas for her father.

That shocked Regina. Even though the two had been on better terms since Emma and Snow's return to Storybrooke, the former mayor and sheriff still loved to duke it out, verbally of course. It was more playful now, though. There wasn't as much animosity in their words anymore.

"Emma?"

Emma sighed and slowly turned back to Regina. "I'm horribly miserable," she stated, her shoulders even more slumped than before.

"And why," Regina stepped up to Emma's side. "Is that?"

"It's James' birthday."

The other eyebrow joined its twin on the brunette's face. "And that is cause for misery?" Regina asked. "I can understand if I were the one that was miserable but, my dear, he is your _father_."

A rush of air escaped Emma's mouth. "I know!" she said harshly. "That's why I'm so miserable. I have _never_ had to buy a gift for my dad. _Ever_. Sure, I've made cards and bought silly little trinkets for my foster-father but they didn't mean anything. But this…this needs to mean something."

"Ah," Regina muttered, understanding now. "Something special is needed."

Emma nodded. "I just don't know what to do," she sighed. "I've missed out on so many past birthdays and Father's Days. I want to try to make up for all those missed presents but that's…that's too much!" She shook her head. "I don't know what…" She trailed off.

"Don't know what, dear?" Regina asked, becoming slightly worried at the glazed look that was taking over Emma's green eyes.

A grin started to form on Emma's face as an idea developed. It was perfect! Completely perfect! Now all she needed was…

"Magic!" She shouted, turning to Regina.

Regina started at the shout and took a step back.

"Emma?" Regina asked hesitantly. "What's wrong with you?"

"I need your help."

"Wha-?"

"And you need to do magic for me."

"Emma, you know I don't-"

"Wait, before you refuse, let me explain."

Regina opened her mouth to protest again when she looked into Emma's eyes. There was a hope there that seemed so similar to Henry. A hope that Regina used to see every Christmas when he would ask for something special. A hope that she would see when he would ask her to come to the school play. Hope. Something Regina wasn't used to seeing in Emma Swan's eyes. And that's what cinched it for her.

"Fine," Regina stated with a firm nod. "What do you need?"

* * *

"Is it safe?"

Emma studied the purple liquid in the vial she was holding. "She said it was."

"Well, that doesn't really reassure me."

Green eyes rolled. "Really, Mom? She saved our lives."

Snow crossed her arms over her chest. "I know. I just…I don't know. It seems weird that she would do this for you."

Emma looked back at the vial and then shrugged. "She's changed," she said. "Henry sees it. I see it. Archie sees it. Why can't you?"

Snow didn't answer that. "Does Henry know she did magic?"

Emma nodded. "She spoke to him about it first. He was fine with it. In fact, he was excited about it. Thought it was cool."

Snow sighed and grabbed her daughter's hand. "If you really think it's okay…"

A firm nod was her answer. "I do."

There was that stubborn lift of her chin that Snow recognized as her own. And that glint in green eyes that was way too similar to James' to miss.

"Fine," she said. "And for the record," she stated with a grin. "I think this is a great idea."

Emma grinned back and picked up the vial, holding it up as in a toast. "Then let's make this the best birthday he's ever had."

* * *

The first thing he noticed was movement on the bed. He didn't think anything of it. Snow had a tendency to move around before actually getting up. But then, he noticed soft giggling. And it didn't sound like Snow.

He slowly opened his eyes, only to be met with a sight that took him totally by surprise.

A small blonde girl was sitting on the bed next to him, her hair slightly mussed, as if she had just woken up, and a huge grin on her face. Snow was sitting next to her, a nervous but excited smile on her face.

"Hi!" the little girl chirped.

"Um," James sat up, very grateful for the shirt and boxers he had on. "Hi."

"Mama said we could wake you up now so we could have breakfast." She looked over at Snow with big green eyes. "Didn't you, Mama?"

"I sure did, sweetie. What else do you tell him?"

James felt like he had stepped into another world. Nothing was making sense to him. _Did I drink last night? Am I having an alcohol induced dream?_

"Oh yeah!" The little girl jumped up, her little feet scrambling over the covers, and threw herself at him. Her tiny arms wrapped around his neck. "Happy Birthday, Daddy!"

"Daddy?" He whispered. He pulled back to look her in the face and nearly swallowed his tongue. Those green eyes and stubborn chin. The blonde hair and grin. "Emma?"

Green eyes lit up and she nodded. "Yep! And you're my forever-daddy! Mama said so." She pointed at Snow over her shoulder. "So, it has to be true! And she said you'll love me forever!"

James made eye contact with Snow, who just smiled and communicated that all would be explained later but that yes, this was Emma. His eyes tracked back to the little girl and he felt tears start to gather in his eyes.

"Daddy?" Emma said, her excitement slowly fading at the shocked look on the man's face. "Is that okay?"

"Oh, Emma," he breathed before he pulled her back into his arms. "It is very okay."

To be continued…


	2. Chapter 2

Annnnndddd….here it is; the next chapter. And thank you, thank you, thank you to the ones who reviewed. You guys rock so very much! I love getting reviews. They make me write just a tad bit faster.

As always, thanks to Laura, who puts aside her busy schedule to look over my chapters and stories and points out stupid mistakes that I kick myself for making (i.e. your and you're). OMG, I actually cringed when I saw _that_ mistake in this chapter. Thank goodness only one other person saw that!

And, of course, I don't own OUAT. Derh!

* * *

"So, she doesn't remember being an adult?"

Snow shook her head and looked over at their daughter, who was watching TV with a fascinated look on her face. "The last thing she remembers is meeting me in the Enchanted Forest a few weeks ago when she first turned into a little girl again."

James narrowed his eyes. "Is this okay, then? I mean, she isn't stuck like this, is she?"

"No, she made sure it only lasted for a day," Snow answered. "She said Regina made it to last from sunup to sundown."

"Regina?" James asked, alarmed.

"Yeah, I thought the same thing," Snow said, turning back to the stove to flip a pancake. "But Emma says she trusts her. So, I trust Emma. You know Emma doesn't give trust out very easily."

James nodded and slowly let a grin take over his face. "Well, this is probably the best birthday present I've ever gotten," he said, kissing Snow's cheek. "What about the Sheriff's station?"

Snow grinned. "If anything happens, they're going to call me."

James raised an eyebrow. "You?" he said with a laugh.

"Well, the Sheriff is now six years old and her deputy will be hanging out with her all day. Emma figured that the next best person to take over if something were to go wrong would be me."

James shook his head. "You two thought of everything."

"Oh, this isn't my present," Snow answered with a smirk. "That comes later tonight when Emma's in bed."

A laugh from the blonde stopped James from making any remark on that. He just grinned, kissed his wife again, and made his way over to his daughter.

"Hey, Princess," he said, sitting on the sofa next to her.

She pulled her gaze away from the TV and grinned. "Hey, Daddy!" She pointed at the television. "I'm watching TV." The excitement in her voice confused James but he just went with it.

"I see," he said, putting his arm around her shoulders. "What are you watching?"

"It's a cartoon about a rabbit and he's being chased by this bald man with a funny voice."

"Bugs Bunny?"

Emma shrugged and turned back to the television as Bugs started singing. "I dunno, I've never seen it before."

"You've never seen Bugs Bunny?" James asked. That shocked him. He thought all kids knew Bugs.

Emma shook her head. "No." She snuggled into James' side. "I wasn't allowed to watch TV when I lived with Charlie. He wouldn't let me."

James had heard about this "Charlie" from Snow and it took all he could do not to seethe with anger at just his name.

"Why not?"

Again, the little girl shrugged. "I dunno," she stated as she stared at the screen and Bugs' antics. "He let Johnny watch it."

"Johnny?"

"His real son."

Again, James wanted to punch this Charlie in the face. But his daughter's innocent voice stopped him.

"What's Mama doing?"

"Making a special breakfast just for my birthday."

Green eyes widened and the little body pressed against his seemed to wiggle with excitement. "What?"

James grinned and leaned down to whisper in Emma's ear. "Chocolate chip pancakes."

Emma's eyes widened even more, if that was possible. "Really?"

"Yep," James said. "With whipped cream."

The little girl suddenly threw her arms around James' neck. "Thank you, Daddy! I've never had chocolate chip pancakes before! This is gonna be awesome!"

* * *

"Can I have some milk?" Emma asked Snow as the brunette placed a plate with a pancake in front of the child.

"Sure, sweetie."

Emma jumped up from the table and hurried to the refrigerator. "I can get it!" She exclaimed with a grin.

Snow smiled and winked at James, who was just sitting down to the table. "I'll get you a glass, how's that?"

"Okay," Emma said with a grunt as she heaved the gallon of milk out of the door of the fridge. "Will you help me pour it?"

"Of course," Snow answered.

James watched all of this with a smile. If he let himself, he could just imagine that the curse hadn't happened and this was how their life was going to be from now on. But a shattering of glass broke him out of his thoughts.

Emma was on her knees on the kitchen floor, surrounded by milk and pieces of glass. Her shocked look told him everything. Her tiny six-year-old hands weren't used to holding a glass of that size. Their cabinets didn't have child-size glasses. And Emma had dropped the glass full of milk.

"Emma!" He yelled as he jumped up. He ran over to her and his wife, who was kneeling on the floor beside the little girl.

At his yell, Emma flinched and scooted away from him and Snow. "I'm sorry," she said softly, tears already running down her cheeks. "I didn't mean to," she whimpered.

He carefully dropped to his knees in front of her, seeing her flinch again. "Are you okay?" He asked both Snow and Emma. "Are either of you cut?"

Snow shook her head, but her eyes were trained on the little girl, still cowering in front of them. James turned his attention back to his daughter.

"Emma?"

She inched away from him a little more. "I'm really sorry, Daddy. I'll clean it up. I promise."

James felt his heart break. She looked like an abused animal; the cowering, the whimpering, her eyes refusing to meet his. All the signs were there.

"Emma," he said softly. "It's okay." He gently placed a hand on her head, making her look up then quickly look back down. "I'm not mad at you."

That made her green eyes shoot back up to his. "You aren't?"

He shook his head. "No, I know it was an accident."

She nodded frantically. "It was! I didn't mean to drop the glass!"

"Exactly," he said with a grin. "So, I'm not mad."

"Then why did you yell?"

"I was worried that you had hurt yourself," he answered. "Did you? Are you okay?"

Emma's brow furrowed and she studied him, as if seeing him for the first time. "You were worried about _me_?"

"Of course," he said. "You're my baby. I love you and don't want you to get hurt."

"You love me?" She bit her lip. "But you don't know me."

"Yes, I do," James said, not noticing the milk slowly seeping into his jeans. "You're my daughter. You like Bugs Bunny and you're excited about these amazing pancakes your mother just made. And I can't wait to go on a picnic with you for lunch."

A smile slowly spread across Emma's face. "We're going on a picnic?" Her eyes darted between Snow and James, as if getting confirmation from both of them.

Snow grinned. "If that's what the birthday boy wants…" she said.

"That's what I get," James finished. "Now, let's clean this up together," he pointed at the spilt milk and broken glass. "And eat these awesome pancakes, okay?"

"Okay!" Emma said excitedly, the accident completely forgotten.

But, as they cleaned up the mess and sat down to breakfast, James couldn't get his daughter's cowering form out of his head. And he got angry. One day, he thought. He just needed one day with this Charlie jerk. He hurt his baby girl. He continuously hurt his little princess for just being a little girl. Once his birthday was over, James felt that he really wanted to find Charlie and show him what it was like to be picked on someone big enough to fight back.

To be continued…

A little side note here: For those of you who were also reading the Holiday Series, I'm currently working on the next one. Be ready for it! Woot! And tell your friends!

Also…REVIEW! It's easy. The little review box is now on the same page as the chapter. You don't even have to click a link to get there. Wow, isn't technology great?!


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